Beauty & The Beast
by fideliusme
Summary: Parker gets shot during a job. Used to be longer but anyone who read it knows how awful it was. Like, I'm still ashamed that I uploaded it. If I ever try to continue, someone kindly take my computer away. Rated T
1. Chapter 1

Parker hopped out of Lucille and tugged at the hem of her skin-tight pink dress. "Why can't Sophie do this?" she complained, fluffing her hair. She was painfully aware of the makeup weighing down her eyelids and the gloss on her lips, and her feet already hurt from Sophie's high heels. She preferred pants and sneakers-quick and light.

"Because Valenti's already seen Sophie and I don't look good in a dress." Eliot said as he pulled his hair back into a bundle at the nape of his neck. Parker rolled her eyes. "You probably look better than I do. Can you see my lock-picking kit?" she asked, turning on the spot. Eliot shrugged. "No, where is it?"

"Okay, guys," Nate interrupted over the coms. "Valenti just arrived. Showtime."

Eliot extended his arm, and they walked together into the high-society gala. Immediately Parker mapped her exits and took note of all the valuables in the giant ballroom. Seeing a multimillion dollar necklace she squeezed Eliot's arm. "Look, look! It's right there! Can I just-"

"No, Parker." Eliot handed her a glass of champagne and surveyed the room. "There he is." he mumbled. Parker followed his gaze until it landed on Valenti. He was fat and balding, wearing too many rings on his fingers and sweating profusely. He didn't look like the kind of guy who would have people murdered, but then again they never did.

"Eliot, Parker. There's your cue." Nate said, and Eliot put his hand on the small of her back and steered her towards Valenti.

"Dr. Abernathy!" the bald man bellowed, spotting them. Eliot plastered on a grin and said, "Mr. Valenti, good to see you. I don't believe you've met my wife, Fiona?"

Parker smiled. She could feel Valenti's eyes burning holes in her dress and her fingers tightened around a fistful of Eliot's jacket.

"It's okay, Parker." Sophie's voice says in her ear. "Just smile. Okay, now touch his arm...good..."

After a few minutes of flirting, Parker excused herself to go powder her nose. She left the party and hurried down to the basement, where the vault with the evidence of Valenti's murders was.

"She sure is something!" she heard Valenti say to Eliot. Eliot laughed and said, "she's a hell of a woman."

"You got that right! Great body. Nice ass. Wouldn't mind getting my hands on that!"

Parker's mouth dropped open. "Ew!"

"I-"

"Oh, come on now, Doc. One man to another: she's a tiger in the sack, am I right?"

"Eliot, don't hit him." Nate warned. Parker, steaming, pulled her lock-picking kit from her thigh and bent to start on the lock, muttering under her breath.

"Right, yeah. I better go, uh, check on her." Eliot said through gritted teeth. "Excuse me."

"Okay, Parker," Hardison said. He sounded pissed. "Security's down. You have exactly sixty seconds."

Slipping inside, Parker searched for the evidence. She had just found them when she sensed someone behind her. She turned. Valenti's head of security, the Russian man with silver hair, was standing at in the entrance to the vault, aiming a gun at her chest. He smiled slightly.

"Eliot," Parker said as she sucked in a breath. The Russian pulled the trigger and Parker jumped sideways, the bullet hitting her shoulder. She fell to the ground, shocked. She couldn't feel anything, see anything or hear anything. She was numb. Suspended. Suddenly she thought of her brother; of the day her parents brought her home, of watching cartoons with him sitting beside her on the sofa, of that afternoon when she taught him how to ride the bicycle...

And then she was in the back of Lucille, crying and jerking involuntarily. Eliot cut her dress open and peeled the fabric away from the wound to inspect the damage, and she tried to push him away. "Ow! No, no don't touch it!" she shrieked. "Please," she begged, "Eliot, please-it hurts-"

"I know, sweetie, I know," Eliot soothed. He looked at Nate and said, "she's losing a lot of blood."

"Hardison!" Nate barked. "Drive faster!"

Parker's chest heaved, her limbs moving of their own accord. Eliot smoothed her hair back from her forehead, his hand hot against her skin. "You're gonna be fine, Parker." he said. She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "No, I'm-I'm not."

She touched Eliot's chest with the back of her bloody hand. "Did you mean it? Back, there, did you mean it?"

His brow furrowed and he touched her hand. "Mean what?"

Parker felt her heartbeat skip and she choked. "That-that you think I'm a hell of a woman."

Eliot nodded, swallowing. "I think you're amazing, Parker."

She smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"We're here," Hardison said, and the van stopped moving. Eliot scooped her into his arms and carried her through the hospital doors, with everyone else trailing behind. She was put on a stretcher, and suddenly she felt very cold. Her vision cut off and she was plummeted into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

When Parker woke up she was lying on her back in a cool, dimly lit room. There was a tube in her nose, and several more hooked into her arms. It was hard to breathe, like something heavy was sitting on her chest. She took a breath and blinked repeatedly, clearing the sleep from her eyes. Eliot was slumped over at the end of the bed, his head on his arm and his hand holding hers. He was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and his hair was tied in a messy bundle at the back of his head. He smelled strongly of stale coffee.

Parker twitched her fingers and he opened his eyes. Seeing that she was awake, he started and stood up. "Parker-"

Sophie, who had been curled up in the a chair in the corner, jolted awake and called for a nurse. Eliot grinned, caressing the hair off her clammy forehead. "How do you feel?" he asked. She fidgeted, trying to take a deep breath. "Like I got shot in the chest with a nine millimeter." she croaked.

A nurse, Nate and Hardison came into the room a moment later, and the woman told everyone to step back while she checked Parker's vitals. "Are you feeling any pain?" she asked. Parker shook her head. The nurse smiled. "That's good. You're a lucky one, Parker. A little more to the left and we would've lost you."

When the nurse left to get more bandages to replace the old ones, Parker looked at Nate and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"A little over two days." Nate answered. He looked like he hadn't slept or had a drink in some time. Parker sat up a little straighter. "When can I go home? I want to go home."

"As soon as they know you're okay," Sophie promised. "Maybe in the morning."

Parker wanted to leave_ now_, but was too tired to argue. Nate came over to the bed and patted her hand. "We'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

Sophie gave her a kiss on each cheek and she and Nate left. Hardison handed her a sleek new gaming device- "If you can't sleep..."-and when he left she turned to Eliot. "Are you leaving?" she asked. Eliot sat back down in his chair and smiled. "Not a chance."

She didn't say it, but Parker was glad. He went to get more coffee when the nurse came to change her bandages, and the young woman smiled. "You're boyfriend's a great guy, you know. He hardly ever left your side when you were unconscious."

Parker didn't bother correcting her, and was asleep before he came back.

"Okay, I'm heading off to bed." Sophie said, shaking out her hair with her fingers. "Need anything? A glass of water? Or some help getting to the toilet-"

"I'm fine." Parker said through gritted teeth. She'd lost count of how many times she'd said those words since she left the hospital. Sophie had convinced her to stay at her apartment for a few days until she was fully recovered, and Parker regretted it every passing minute. She hated being waited on like some frail, weak little girl. She hated the way her injury weighed her down, made her slow, and made her depend on other people like Sophie for her most basic needs.

Sophie opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Parker pulled herself up against the cushions, the futon bed creaking under her. It was uncomfortable and lumpy, but she'd slept on worse.

"Eliot!" Sophie said. "Everything okay?"

Eliot stepped inside, looking slightly uncomfortable. He held Parker's bunny in his hands.

"I thought you might want this," he said to her, holding up the bunny. "Oh, how thoughtful." Sophie smiled. "I was just heading to bed, so I'll see you two in the morning." she gave a little wave, and disappeared down the hall to her bedroom. Eliot watched her go, then sat down on the arm of a nearby chair. He stared at the bandage on Parker's shoulder, visible beneath the spaghetti straps of her camisole. He handed her the bunny and she smiled. She would never admit it, but she'd missed him.

"Does it hurt?" he asked her, nodding at her bandage. She half-shrugged. "Not so much anymore." she lied. She looked down at Bunny, fingering the tip of his ratty ear. She didn't know how to voice what she was feeling, or even exactly it was that she was feeling. She took a breath and held it. "I should thank you." she said slowly. "For what you did in the van..."

"I didn't do anything." he said. She nodded and said, "No, you did. So...thanks."

Eliot brushed his hair behind his ear. Parker swallowed. "And..." she stopped. she looked back down at Bunny. Why was this so hard for her? Sophie never had any trouble with stuff like this. Maybe she cold teach her how do to it sometime.

"And I think you're amazing, too." she finally said quickly, softly. There was a long, heavy pause, and finally she looked up at Eliot. He met her eyes, and her breath shook.

The silence was broken by the door suddenly bursting open. Two thugs came in, brandishing guns. Sophie came running of her room, and Eliot shouted for her to take Parker and go to Nate's. Sophie grabbed Parker's hand, and Parker grabbed Bunny before she was dragged out of the apartment as the thugs backed Eliot into the corner, smirking. "Come on," she heard Eliot say.

They took the stairs two at a time, and in the parking garage Sophie produced a spare key seemingly from nowhere and helped Parker into her car just as three more men appeared. Sophie stepped on the gas, and drove dangerously fast out of the garage, scattering the thugs in every direction.

"Are you alright?" she asked Parker. All the movement had popped some of the stitches in her shoulder, and the bandage was now soaked with blood. Parker nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." she said breathlessly.

Sophie breathed out slowly. "Valenti's guard must've found out you survived," she said. "Now he's come to finish the job."

"Why?" Parker asked. "For revenge for taking down Valenti?"

"No, because you know his face." Sophie explained. "They must have followed Eliot to my apartment...damn it!"

When they arrived at Nate's apartment, Parker could barely stay upright. Sophie changed her bandage carefully and Nate provided some painkillers from his medicine cabinet. Sophie gave him a questioning look, but he ignored it. "You can have my bed, Parker. You need your rest if you're ever going to get your strength back."

Hardison carried her up the stairs and laid her down on Nate's still-made bed. She was too drowsy to complain about the unwanted physical contact as he tucked her in.

"Sweet dreams, Parker." he said. She closed her eyes and snuggled beneath blankets. She wondered if Eliot was beat up badly, or if he'd escaped without injury. Her question was answered a few minutes later when she heard him come in downstairs.

"Were you followed?" Nate asked.

"No, I don't think so. How's Parker?"

"She's upstairs, she's fine. A little mad at herself, maybe."

"Damn it. She should have never been in that vault by herself! I should've gone with her, or Hardison-"

"Yeah, but you weren't. There's no use yelling about it now." Nate paused, and Parker heard the clinking of a bottle against glass. "You should put some antibiotic cream on that. There's some in the cabinet upstairs."

Parker heard quiet footsteps on the stairs, then the light in the bathroom turned on and she watched Eliot clean a cut on his cheekbone. She swallowed and said, "are you okay?"

He looked over at her, and nodded. She nodded back, and closed her eyes. She hugged her Bunny close, and for the first time in her life, she wanted someone in the bed next to her. She wanted Eliot to lay down beside her, hold her hand and make her feel safe. For the first time in her life, she craved closeness. She craved protection. And it frightened her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Uh, Parker, you wanna slow down there?" Nate said, opening the fridge and bringing out an orange soda. Parker slurped the milk out of her third bowl of Fruit Loops and looked up guiltily at Nate.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. Parker straightened up. "Yes. Why? Why do you ask?"

Nate tilted his head. She sighed. Nate could always get the truth out of her with that look. She sighed.

"I'm...I'm feeling guilt. About the Russian." she said with difficulty. Nate shook his head. "No, Parker, you can't feel guilty about that. It could've happened to any one of us."

"But it happened to _me_." Parker insisted. "And now I've put everyone in danger."

Nate reached over, meaning to put his hand on her shoulder but stopped. He rested his elbows on the counter and leaned towards her. "Getting shot was not your fault, Parker. And we're not in danger. Eliot's going to take ca-"

Eliot came through the door, interrupting Nate. Parker's mouth dropped open. Eliot was bleeding and holding his side. "What happened?" Nate demanded.

"Russian." Eliot spat angrily as he went up the stairs, swearing to himself. Parker looked at Nate pointedly. He shook his head. "Not your fault." he said.

Parker slid off the stool and followed Eliot upstairs. He was in the bathroom, shirtless, wrapping a bandage around his midriff. Parker could see a very nasty bruise peeking out from under the white gauze.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, coming in. She extended a finger to poke the discoloured skin automatically. Eliot flinched and grabbed her hand. "Yes, Parker." he said. She folded her arms, biting her top lop. She pulled herself up onto the counter and watched him.

"Can you hold that for me for a second?" Eliot asked quietly. She nodded and pressed her fingers gently to the bandage, holding it together as he pinned it in place. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. Eliot shook his hair out of his eyes and said, "what for?" like he genuinely didn't know. She folded her arms again. "For your ribs. Your face..."

"Parker..." Eliot smiled a little and reached for his t-shirt. "This is what I do. It's not your fault."

"But-"

Eliot pulled his shirt over his head and shook out his hair. "Parker, my job is to protect the team. To protect you."

"But I don't like to be protected!" Parker said, frustrated. "I can take care of myself! Normally.."

"Yeah, normally." Eliot said. "But until everything's back to normal, you get me. And when I take a bullet to the chest, I expect you to return the favour." he said with a smile. Parker sighed. "Okay. Okay, fine." she looked up at him through her eyelashes, and he raised his hand to brush her bangs across her forehead. She leaned into his touch, and her fingers closed around his wrist. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed his bruised knuckles.

"P-Parker," Eliot began, but she raised her hands, rested them on his shoulders and pulled him down to her level. Their breath should, and the hand he moved from the counter to her waist trembled. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his, neither of them prepared for what happened next.

It was electric. As soon as they touched it was like a spark ignited, zapping them. He pulled away; she followed; and they continued back and forth, fighting to break apart. Finally they gave up. Eliot tangled his hands in her hair and she pressed her body close to his, wrapping her arms around him. He tasted like spearmint gum and coffee. She could smell his spicy, clean scent, and though her eyes were closed she could see everything. She saw skies, fireworks, galaxies. All the things Sophie talked about and that Parker had scoffed at.

And then it was over. Eliot backed up and they touched their lips at the same time. Parker looked at him. "That was...weird."

"Yeah..."


	4. Chapter 4

(Author's note: Thank you so much for all the reviews! It means a lot to me! And I'm sorry for the short chapters, they don't seem so short when

I'm writing them...and sorry for the really bad fight scene. I'm a lot better at sex, which is kind of sad actually...anyway, enjoy!)

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"Are we gonna talk about this?" Eliot asked from where he stood in the entrance of Parker's storage unit. Parker stuffed a cereal box into her duffel back and yanked the zipper closed. "I thought we did."

"Yeah, about the kiss. Not about whatever the hell is going on between us right now."

Parker stopped. "What do you mean?" she demanded. "There's nothing going on between us!"

"Yes there is!" Eliot stepped inside and took his sunglasses off. "Parker, you're treating me like a complete stranger! So we kissed. Once. Big deal. You've kissed Hardison before, and you don't treat him any different!"

"This isn't the same!" Parker blurted before she could stop herself. Eliot paused. "What does that mean?" he asked. Parker shook her head. Everything was so confusing, so complicated.

"Parker?"

She looked up. Eliot's blue eyes stared into hers, and her lip began to tremble. She sniffed and swung her arms, uncertain. Finally she just gave up. "It means that I like you!" she snapped angrily. "I like you, okay? And not the way I like Hardison, or Sophie or Nate, or anyone. And-and not the way I like cereal or stealing things or money." she stopped, breathing heavily.

Eliot opened his mouth, closed it, and ran his hand over his cap, tugging at his ponytail. Parker twisted her hands in front of her. "And-and it means that I want you. I want you more than I've ever wanted another person in my life. And I want you to kiss me like Nate kisses Sophie, because it looks really nice and-and when I think about you kissing me like that I get this weird feeling in my stomach, like butterflies, and I want you to hold me and make me feel safe, because I'm scared and I don't..." she trailed off and took a breath. Eliot crossed the room and cupped her head in his hands. He looked into her eyes, leaning closer and closer until their lips were almost brushing together. Parker felt her knees turn to jelly.

Suddenly, Eliot froze. Parker blinked, but didn't have time to ask what was wrong. As soon as he went to turn around, a dart landed in his thigh. He yanked it out just as another entered Parker's arm, and they fell to the floor. The last thing she saw was Eliot's eyes fluttering closed.

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Parker woke up on her side in a small, dark area. She blinked rapidly and winced as the pain in her shoulder seared like a fresh bullet entering her skin. As her eyes adjusted she realized she was in the back of a van. Eliot lay beside her, his hand zip-tied to hers, and judging by his open shirt and turned out pockets, he'd been searched. She brushed her hair out of her eyes with her free hand and pressed her ear against the side of the van, listening hard.

"...boss want with them?"

"I dunno. Think he likes the girl."

"He's a damn fool. You know who he's got in there with her? Eliot Spencer."

"No shit, really? Thought he'd be taller..."

"He's small but lethal..."

"You ever fight him?"

"No, and I don't wanna. Valenti better get his ass over here before he wakes up..."

Parker drew back. Valenti? She shook Eliot awake and he sat up. "They're talking about Valenti," she whispered to him. "I thought Valenti was put in jail!"

"He was." Eliot grunted. He rubbed his thigh where the dart had entered and looked over at her. "Are you okay?" he whispered, touching her shoulder with his free hand. She had popped some stitches and the blood had soaked through her hoodie, but she'd never let on how much it hurt. She nodded. "I'm fine. You?"

"Yeah. Do you know where-"

The doors to the van opened, cutting off Eliot. The Russian reached in and dragged them out by the ankles, throwing them onto the pavement. They were in a parking garage, and Parker guessed they'd been there for a few hours as she saw how dark it was outside. They got to their feet, and Parker positioned herself protectively in front of Eliot as best she could. It was her fault they were in this mess, and she would not let him get hurt because of her. Valenti grinned. "Well, ain't you a sight for sore eyes."

Parker wanted to claw his eyes out. She took a step forward but Eliot grasped her sleeve. "What do you want, Valenti?" he growled. Valenti signaled to the Russian, who promptly drove his fist into Eliot's stomach. Parker winced as Eliot doubled over, but he recovered quickly and retaliated by kicking in the Russian's kneecap, then delivering a blow to his head that knocked him out cold. The two thugs that Parker heard talking before converged on them, and while Eliot took out one, she took out the other with a swing of her leg, her boot connecting with his temple. He fell to the ground and she wobbled, unsteady. Her gunshot wound and being tied to Eliot was severely messing up her balance. Valenti laughed. "You're good, Spencer. But you see," he produced a gun from the back of his pants and pointed it first at Eliot and then at Parker, who tried to put herself in front of Eliot again, "you're not that good. Now, to answer your question. I want the name of your boss-of the man who tried to have me put in jail. Oh, and I want a go on your girl here-"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a very vulgar man, Valenti?"

Parker looked up, and smiled. Nate stood behind Valenti with a gun pointed at his shiny bald head. Valenti turned. "And who are you?"

"I'm the the guy who tried to have you put in jail." Nate said. With Valenti's gun now pointed at Nate, Eliot and Parker moved forward and Eliot quickly grabbed the gun and took the magazine out, chucking it over his shoulder. Valenti tried to take a swing at him, and Parker kicked him in the groin. He fell to his knees, and Parker looked at Eliot. He nodded, and together they kicked him in the face. Parker grinned, and on impulse, she grabbed Eliot's head with both hands-almost hitting him in the face with his own hand-and kissed him passionately. He froze, then seemed to melt into her, wrapping his free arm around her.

"Okay, guys...wrap it up, come on..." Nate said awkwardly, clearing his throat. Parker stepped out of Eliot's grasp, but held onto his hand. Nate looked from one to the other. "So, is this happening now?" he asked.

That was a very good question. And as usual, Parker didn't have the answer.


	5. Chapter 5

_( Author's note:_

_To Jess,_

_It's coming! ...pun intended. Not so much in this chapter, but definitely in the next. I hope you like it xD )_

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"How'd you find us, anyway?" Parker asked Nate. She sat on the counter in his apartment, topless, while Eliot changed her bandage carefully. Nate set an orange soda down beside her and nodded at Hardison, who was sitting on the sofa with his laptop, pretending he wasn't just staring at Parker. "Hardison put tracking devices in all your shoes."

Parker looked over at him. "Oh." She made a mental note to try to remember to thank him. She watched Eliot's fingers smooth the bandage over her skin, and the memory of those fingers in her hair made her shiver. "Sorry," Eliot said, thinking he'd hurt her. Parker shook her head, catching his wrist. She gave him a little smile. They hadn't really spoken since her outburst in her storage unit, and she could tell that he was just as confused as she was. He returned the smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. Nate straightened up. "I think I'll go find Sophie...Hardison?"

Hardison gathered up his stuff and the two of them left. Parker chewed her top lip and studied Eliot. "What are you thinking?" she finally asked, impatient. Eliot looked up at her, then moved between her legs and rested his hands on either side of her. "I'm thinking that I really, really want to kiss you."

Parker smiled. It wasn't the answer she'd been looking for, but it was nice. She ran her hands up his arms, resting on his shoulders and bringing him closer. She kissed him gently. She liked the way Eliot seemed to unravel when she kissed him; it was like she could feel all the tension leave his body. She sighed and deepened the kiss, forgetting about the confusion and uncertainty and all the unanswered questions. She didn't care anymore. All she cared about were his lips on hers, and how wonderful it felt to have his heart beating against hers.

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"Wow."

"Yeah."

"That was..."

"Amazing."

"Yeah."

Parker sat up, grinning like a maniac. Her hair was messy and her cheeks flushed, and she had never felt more alive. She sat up and put her hand on Eliot's chest, her eyes glinting. "Can we do it again?"

"Again? Seriously?" Eliot pulled himself up on his elbows. "Can I rest for a few minutes first?"

Parker sighed, but her grin remained in place. She unhooked her spent pink parachute and fell back against the pavement, giggling. They had landed in an abandoned parking lot, just as she expected they would. She looked up at the tallest building in Boston and let out a loud "Wooo!"

Eliot grinned at her, then checked his watch. "We have to go," he said. "Nate said to be back at three."

"Ugh." Parker stood up, wobbling on her jelly legs. She helped Eliot stand, and the two of them stumbled back to Eliot's car. Parker slid into the front seat and let out a deep breath. She was exhausted, in a good way.

Parker had gotten shot almost two weeks ago, and since then she'd analyzed everything. Her feelings, Eliot's feelings, the pros and cons of sharing those feelings- she'd even talked to Sophie about it, though that didn't really help much. 'Follow your heart' just confused her. But Eliot didn't seem to expect anything from her, and that made things easier. It was fun, she decided. Dating didn't have to be so complicated.

When they got to Nate's apartment he was already explaining the job to Hardison and Sophie. He stopped and watched them, smiling a little. "Did you have fun?"

"Oh yeah!" Parker grinned. Eliot sat down on the sofa and Parker settled herself in his lap. Nate tilted his head at them, then continued like there had been no interruption. After a moment Parker got bored. She fidgeted, already restless. Maybe she'd get to jump off something later, or steal something. Nate said something about a vault. She could break into it! Yeah, that would be fun-

"Stop," Eliot said, tightening his arms around her. "Stop squirming."

She stopped. "Are we done yet?" she asked. Nate nodded. "Yeah, Parker, we're done. You, Hardison and Sophie go to the vault, and Eliot, you're with me. Okay, let's go steal a Camera."

Parker got up and said to Hardison, "A camera? What for?"

"Weren't you listening?" Hardison asked, exasperated. Parker shrugged. "No, not really."

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"So," Nate said as he and Eliot got out of the car at the victim's house. "You and Parker."

Eliot brushed his hair behind his ear. "What about us?"

Nate stopped walking, and Eliot looked back at him. "What?"

"You're being careful, right?" Nate finally said. "Not like-like sex careful-I mean careful with HER. With her heart. You are being careful, right?"

Eliot stared at him. "Yeah, Nate." he said softly. Nate nodded. "Good. That's good. Because, you know, Parker's kind of like a-like a little sister of sorts, you know, and if you hurt her I'd, uh, I'd be obligated to break every bone in your body. See what I'm saying?"

"Er..." Eliot nodded, a little frightened. "I think so."

Nate nodded, and they continued up the driveway. As they got to the door Nate said, "So about the sex."

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"Parker, can I ask you a personal question?" Sophie asked as she and Parker stepped into the elevator. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "Are you and Eliot sort of 'dating' now?"

Parker rolled her shoulders, a little smile on her face. "Sort of. I mean, we went on a kind of date this morning."

Sophie studied Parker's face. "Oh, I see. Have you two, um..." she trailed off, fixing her hair in the mirror. "Because when you got to Nate's earlier it kind of looked like you two had..."

"It was amazing!" Parker grinned. "We went so fast! And Eliot didn't cry like Hardison did!"

Sophie's mouth dropped open, completely shocked. Then she realized that she and Parker weren't talking about the same thing. "Parker, I'm talking about sex!"

Parker frowned. "Why are you talking about that?"

Exasperated, Sophie gave up. "Ugh, never mind. I just want to make sure that you're not jerking him around."

"Jerking him-is that some kind of sex move or-"

"Parker!" Sophie sighed. "No! I mean I just want you to be sure that you really care about him before you rush into an intimate relationship!"

"Oh..." Parker thought about that for a moment. "That's nice of you I guess."

"Parker, I'm being serious. You could break Eliot's heart into a billion tiny little pieces, and no one will be able to put it back together again." Sophie took a breath. Parker looked at her, her eyes wide and innocent. "Just...just be careful with him, Parker."

"I will." Parker said. "I'll try really hard not to break his heart. I promise."

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It seemed to Parker that everyone had something to say about her relationship with Eliot, except Hardison. So when she was riding in Lucille back to Nate's apartment, with the camera in her hands (she'd been surprised that it was an actual camera - apparently it had photos or something in it), she decided to bring up the topic on her own.

"So. Eliot and I are dating." she said. Hardison nodded, tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel. "That's cool, cool..." he said, but his voice was strained. She frowned. "You're upset. Why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset, Parker." Hardison said. After a moment he looked at her, his eyes sad. "I just wanna know...why Eliot? Why him?"

Parker chewed her top lip. She'd never really thought about WHY. She didn't really know why. When she didn't reply Hardison said, "is it the Hitter thing? All the muscles and beating people up? Or is it the country thing? Is that what you go for? 'Cause Parker, I could be country. I could get muscles."

Parker's eyebrows drew together. "Why would you do that?" she asked. He looked at her for a long time, and then she got it. "Oh." she said.

Hardison stared out the windshield. Parker turned the camera over in her hands, processing. Finally she said, "You're my best friend."

"Right, yeah. I'm a friend. Nice one, Parker."

"But you are. You're the best friend I've ever had." Parker watched his face, guilt curling inside her chest. "I'm sorry." she whispered. Hardison glanced at her, and seemed to deflate. "It's okay. I'll...I'll recover. It's cool, girl." he smiled, but it wasn't real. Parker swallowed. She hated that she had hurt him, but what could she do about it? She couldn't stop or change the weird feelings towards Eliot, as much as she would like to. She felt tears pushing at the back of her eyes and forced them back. They were stopped at a red light when she spoke next.

"It's the way he brushes my hair off my forehead." she said quietly. Hardison glanced at her. "What?"

Parker swiped her fingers over her bangs and smiled a little. "You asked why him. It's the feeling I get when he brushes my hair off my forehead."

Hardison bit his lip. After a moment of silence he said, "_I_ could brush your hair of your forehead..."

"No," Parker said. Her eyes shined red, reflecting the red light in front of them. "You couldn't."

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"Your place is almost as empty as mine." Parker observed as she wandered around Eliot's minimalist living room later that night. All he had was a TV, a few overflowing yet neatly stacked bookshelves, a bare coffee table and a simple, dark green sofa. She meandered down the hall and peeked into his bedroom. He had a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room, a TV on the wall, a desk with a laptop on it and dresser, the surface clear of everything but a small wooden box and yet more books, stacked in alphabetical order. She hadn't realized he read so much. She moved into the connecting bathroom. It was spotless, with one bottle in the shower and a shaving kit on the sink. She reached for the bottle of shaving creme and pulled the cap off, sniffing it.

"Enjoying yourself?" Eliot asked from behind her. She put it back and smiled awkwardly. "I was just..."

"Snooping?" Eliot suggested. She nodded. "Yeah." she went up to him, put her hands on his shoulders and leaned up, pressing her nose into the hollow between his jaw and his neck. She inhaled deeply. "What are you doing?" he smiled.

"Sniffing you." she replied simply, letting him go. She went back to the living room and dropped down on the couch. "What are we watching?" she asked.

"You don't have to stay with me," Eliot said, following her. He turned on the TV and tossed her the remote. She folded her legs underneath her and said, "you're concussed. You need supervision."

Eliot sighed and sat down beside her, one leg curled under him. She started flipping through channels until she found an old '70s sci-fi film. "Ooh, this one's good!" she grinned.

Two hours later, neither of them were watching as the credits rolled on the screen. Parker was on her back, her t-shirt lying abandoned on the floor along with Eliot's flannel button-up. One of his hands was braced against the back of the sofa and the other was tangled in her hair, and she mewed softly as he kissed down her neck. Her knees tightened around his hips, and she slid her hands beneath his black undershirt, running her fingers across his smooth, warm skin. His stomach shuddered under her touch, and he leaned further into her, kissing her almost desperately. This was a lot different than she remembered-it hadn't felt like this before. Before, he hadn't cared at all that a bed spring was digging into her back, or that his mouth tasted like Doritos and beer.

Parker squeezed her eyes shut, pushing those memories to the back of her mind. Don't think about that now, she told herself over and over. Don't ruin this for yourself.

Eliot brushed her bangs off her forehead, his fingers lingering at her cheekbone. He smiled a little, his oceanic eyes twinkling. He bent to kiss her, and it was so sweet and lovely...she turned her head at the last second, a small whimper escaping her lips. She shoved him back and sat up, scooting to the edge of the sofa.

"Parker-what-?"

She let her head fall into her hands. She wanted to run and hide. "I'm sorry," she squeaked, standing up. She grabbed her shirt and yanked it over her head as Eliot scrambled off the sofa. He reached for her, pulling her towards him. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No." Parker dodged out of his grasp and bent to scoop up her sneakers. "I just have to go, okay? I just have to go. I'm sorry." she hurried out the door before he could say anything else.

Outside, everything seemed very loud and fast. It was three in the morning, but the streets were busy with drunken party-goers and pleading homeless people. She pushed past everyone, trying very hard not to cry. She didn't want to go home, so she went to the bar instead. She picked the lock easily and went inside, keeping the lights off. She crawled into a booth in the back and curled up in a ball, pressing her face against her knees. She cried for hours, snivels to sobs and back again, unable to control herself just like a small child. It got to the point where she didn't even remember why she was crying so hard in the first place.

Nate found her in the morning, but she didn't want to talk to him. She slid off the seat and hid under the table. That was where she was most comfortable-hiding in small dark spaces, alone. That was probably a bad thing, she realized. Maybe that was the root of all her troubles-the twisted familiarity with darkness and misery.

"Hey."

Parker looked up. Eliot knelt down, peeking at her in the darkness. "Mind if I join you?"

She shook her head slowly, and folded herself up even smaller as he crawled into her little cave. He didn't really fit, but he made it work. They sat in silence for a long time. She realized she could smell him in this close proximity; clean and fresh and sharp. She wanted to snuggle up close and forget everything, but she couldn't. She owed him an explanation.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be." he said, cutting her off. She sniffed and said, "Just listen, okay?"

And closed his mouth and waited. She took a deep breath and began, "I've only ever been with one guy before. I was twelve I think, and he was a couple of years older than me and we shared a room in my last foster home. It's kind of hazy but I...I remember a few things, and lying there under you I just...I got scared. Not of _you_," she added quickly, wiping her eyes. "I just...and then you brushed my hair back and you...you looked at me and..." she blinked back fresh tears and pulled her sleeves up over her hands. "No one's ever looked at me like that."

Eliot looked speechless. She reached towards him and smoothed the creases in his green flannel shirt. It was her favourite-he looked good in green. He caught her hand in his and she clutched at it, putting her other hand over them both. "But I'm okay now." she told him. "But can we just...can we just not have sex right now? Can we just wait awhile first?"

"Yeah," Eliot said, his voice thick. He blinked a few times and covered their hands with his. "Yeah, Parker, we can wait."

She smiled, and leaned forward. "You can kiss me now, though." she told him. He laughed a little and took her head in his hands, kissing her gently. She felt the ache in her chest ease and sighed. She was so sleepy, but she would have stayed awake forever if it meant she could have more kisses like that one.


	6. Chapter 6

_( Author's note"_

_Hey, remember when I said I was better at sex scenes?_

_I lied. )_

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Eliot pulled up in front of her storage unit and Parker unbuckled her seat-belt. It was just past eleven at night and they'd just come back from a particularly exhilarating job and Parker was still buzzed from the heist. She'd realized something when she jumped down that elevator shaft-she didn't want to wait anymore. There was no point. She was tired of backing down right when she wanted it most in fear of her own memories.

"See you tomorrow?" Eliot asked, reaching over to move her hair behind her ear. She looked and him. She thought that it would probably kill her if she said goodbye to him right now. She grinned impishly and kissed him. "Or...you could come in for awhile."

"Er..."

"Come on." Parker got out of the car and ran to her door, punching in the code quickly. She felt Eliot's arm snake around her and she twisted, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Her whole body buzzed, from her lips down to her toes. She walked backwards and Eliot followed, reaching behind him to press the button for the door to close. He swept her up in his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist, letting him carry her to the bed. He dropped her and she bounced a little, laughing breathlessly. She grabbed Eliot by the belt and pulled him down on top of her. She felt like she was going to explode.

"You have a condom, right?" she gasped as she fumbled at his waistband. He paused.

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"Wow. There are so many." Parker said, staring at the row of boxes in front of her. There were so many different brands and assorted colours and flavours. She grabbed one marked 'ribbed-for her pleasure' and tossed them at Eliot. "I want these." she said. He looked at them and then looked at her, a grin forming. "Okay then."

They raced to the cashier, giggling but trying to play it cool. Parker's heart was beating fast in her chest, like it did just before a big jump. When they got to the counter the pimply boy glanced from the condoms to Eliot and then to Parker, and blushed bright red. Parker grinned and wrapped her arms around Eliot's waist, reaching up to nip at his ear. Eliot giggled, putting his arm around her. The boy rang in their item, still staring at Parker out of the corner of his eye. She slipped her fingers under Eliot's belt, causing Eliot to jump. "Whoa," he laughed, putting his hand on hers. The boy handed them their bag and Parker winked at him as she chased Eliot outside.

As Eliot drove back to his place she tapped her hands against her thighs, restless and impatient. She opened the window and leaned out of it, throwing her hands into the air and letting out a loud scream. Eliot tugged on her shirt. "Get back in here before you kill yourself," he said, but he was grinning. She sat back down, then leaned over and kissed him deeply. "Pull over," she said. He pulled over immediately. She couldn't wait any longer. She climbed into the backseat, pulling him with her. She took her shirt off, glad that she hadn't bothered to put on a bra, and leaned up to push at Eliot's t-shirt, kissing his stomach. She pressed herself against him, the feeling of skin against skin intensifying her buzz. He tugged at her jeans and she helped him take them off quickly, tossing them to the floor. His lips trailed from her neck to just below her belly button and he glanced up at her, as if asking for permission. She giggled and raised her pelvis slightly, sliding her underwear off.

Her fingers rummaged in his hair, holding it back at first but soon she forgot what she was doing and her hands moved of their own accord. She mewed softly, her heart skipping several beats. The next thing she knew they were pressed together, connected. He had one hand in her hair and the other braced against the back of the seat, and her nails scraped across his shoulder blades. Time had no meaning, and her brain couldn't process anything but Eliot-his hot breath against her neck, his body moving against hers. It was spectacular. It was epic and great and beautiful and scary and it was The First Time. And when it was over she held him close, her eyelids drooping. He brushed her hair off her forehead and kissed her gently, and this time when he looked at her, she didn't want to run away.

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"I never want to leave this bed." Parker sighed, stretching out across the dark blue comforter. They'd just spent three days in his apartment, only leaving to get supplies from the convenience store down the street. She was wearing only her underwear and feeling quite relaxed, her legs pleasantly jelly-like. Eliot came out of the bathroom, tying his hair back. He was already dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt, and he smiled at her around the toothbrush in his mouth. She raised her arms above her head and arched her back, enjoying the way Eliot seemed to momentarily forget how to function.

Nate had called twenty minutes ago, summoning them to headquarters, and she knew she had to get up and get dressed and pretend like throwing Eliot against the wall and ripping off his clothes wasn't the only thing she wanted to do. She let out a moan and Eliot chuckled. He came over and lifted her up by her arms. "It's just for a few hours," he said, kissing her. "And then we can come back here and you can be naked all you like."

Parker giggled. She liked the sound of that. She fell back and rolled off the bed, going in search of clothing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the smile fade from Eliot's face as soon as she turned her back.

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Eliot was quiet as they drove to Nate's. He could feel Parker watching him, but every time he looked at her she looked away. An uncomfortable feeling bubbled in his chest, and he was glad when she didn't try to take his hand when they got out.

"Where've you two been? I called you an hour ago." Nate said when they walked inside. Eliot looked at his shoes and sat down on the arm of the sofa, where Parker flopped down between him and Hardison.

Nate looked at them for a moment, then turned back to the screens. "This is Johnny Barton, CEO of Barton Industries..."

Eliot looked over at Parker. She was wearing one of his shirts, and her hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head. He reached over and brushed some stray bits behind her ear automatically. She smiled just a little bit, which made him smile. He felt a rush of emotions towards her-desire, love, a crippling protectiveness... He dropped his hand.

"Eliot, I need you to go have a talk with Barton's lawyer, see what he can do to improve our situation a little." Nate told him, and Eliot nodded. He got off the sofa and headed to the door, half-hoping Parker would come after him to say goodbye, and glad whens he didn't.

He never thought he'd be so confused when it came to a woman, or be so conflicted. He'd thought Parker was the one new to relationships, but now he was beginning to think it may be him who hasn't got a clue. With Amy, whenever things got intense he would leave. After a couple of months he'd come back, and they'd be so happy to see each other nothing else mattered. It had been a never ending circle.

But he wasn't leaving this time.

He got to the lawyer's office, terrified him for a few minutes until he said something useful, then left with a unsatisfied feeling. He didn't even get to bash in the guy's face, he talked so fast.

Over the coms, Nate directed him to Barton's office to meet Parker.

"Hey," she smiled when he arrived. She was dressed like a businesswoman, her top low cut and her skirt showing off her pale thigh. Memories from the weekend flooded back to him, and for a moment he forgot everything but the feeling of his hands on that milky skin.

"Come on, Barton's office is on the top floor." Parker said, and he shook his head and followed her. When they got into the elevator she handed him a lab coat. He shrugged it on.

"Is everything okay?" Parker asked him quietly, her hand slipping into his. He nodded and smiled, but she didn't look convinced. The elevator doors opened and he followed her down the hall and into Barton's office. He stood guard at the door as she nimbly danced around the room, searching for the files.

"Hey! You!"

A burly security guard rushed towards Eliot, then three more appeared. As Eliot fought, he realized that his main focus was still on Parker, and it showed in his performance. He was so distracted he almost let one of them slip into the room, where she was still looking for the files speedily. He tried to push her from his mind, compartmentalizing her, and took down the guards quickly. Parker darted passed him. "Come on!"

They raced down the stairs and barreled out into the street. Eliot swore at himself. He'd gotten too distracted-he'd almost been beaten, because of Parker. Because he couldn't keep his damn feelings out of the way long enough to do his freaking job. Because he loved her. And he'd forgotten that all love did was make you weak.

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The days passed, and Parker grew steadily more anxious. Eliot was making excuses not to be around her. He was aloof, cold. She had no idea what she did or how she could fix it, and now she was finding herself alone more often than she'd like. Nate had sent Eliot to do whatever he did during jobs-break someone's knees or face or whatever-which left Parker sitting at the bar playing chess with herself. She sighed and moved a pawn.

"Parker? What's wrong, what's with the sulking?" Nate asked, appearing in front of her. Parker looked up, then around at Sophie who perched on a stool next to her. Parker shrugged. Nate poured himself some whiskey and downed it. "Parker, come on."

"Let me guess," Sophie said with a hard glance at Nate, "relationship troubles?"

Parker moved a bishop, then thought better of it and moved it back. She sighed and nodded. Sophie went, 'aha' and rested her elbows on the counter. "Eliot acting strange? A bit distant, maybe?"

Parker nodded. "When we're together I kind of get the feeling that he doesn't want to be there. And that makes me not want to be there, and I don't like it." she squeezed the bishop between her fingers and then set it down forcefully.

"Oh, well Parker," Nate downed his whiskey and poured some more, "that's just Eliot being a guy."

Sophie glared at him and Parer said, "but why? What did I do?"

"No, no Parker _you _didn't do anything." Sophie insisted, putting her hand on Parker's arm. "It's not you, it's him. There's only one thing that scares men like Eliot the most, and that's intimacy."

"But I don't understand." Parker said. "Eliot's had a lot of girlfriends, how can he be afraid of intimacy-?"

"No," Sophie said with a slight roll of her eyes, "Eliot's 'had' a lot of 'girls'. There's a difference. He's in love with you."

Nate moved a black king and swiped one of Parker's rooks. "And Eliot's only been in love once, and we all know how that ended."

"He got his heart broken." Sophie finished. Parker looked up at her surrogate parents and frowned. She had no intention of breaking his heart, and she still couldn't understand why he was so scared. Finally she said, "so what do I do about it?"

"Talk to him. Make him see that you're serious about him and your relationship." Nate said. Sophie squeezed her arms. "There's really nothing you can do, Parker. He has to work this out on his own."

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After talking with Nate and Sophie, Parker waited outside the bar for Eliot. She sat on the curb like a child, poking at a trail of ants with a stick for almost an hour before he pulled into the parking lot in his shiny black SUV. He got out, and lowered himself down beside her. "We need to talk," he said. She turned towards him slightly. "I know. You go first."

Eliot pushed his hair behind his ear, staring at the ground. She waited in silence for a long time before he said quietly, "I got a call from a buddy of mine...from the service. He has a job for me."

"A job?" Parker echoed. "Like, like a retrieval job?"

He nodded. Parker frowned. "How long will you be gone?"

"Two weeks. Maybe more."

Parker felt tears pushing behind her eyes. "Two...two weeks." she hesitated. "Is it because of me? Are you leaving because of me?'

Eliot reached for her but she backed back, turning her head. He dropped his hand. "Parker, no. I just...I have to work out some things-"

"No, Eliot, it's okay-Sophie explained it all-"

"Parker will you just listen, please?" Eliot raked his fingers through his hair. "I need to go because I need...I need to be away from you. For a little while."

Parker flinched, tears filling her eyes. "W...what? Why?"

"Because you make me feel weak!" Eliot almost shouted, then withdrew, covering his face with his hand. Parker blinked, the tears falling down her cheeks. She couldn't speak. Eliot stood up, and as he started back across the parking lot she found her voice and called, "When-when are you leaving?"

Eliot paused, his hand on the door handle. "Tonight." he said. She smoothed her hair back with both hands, nodding. She felt like she was being split down the center. She'd made the toughest man in the world feel weak. She'd made him hate her so much he was leaving to go on a dangerous job where he may or may not be killed, or kill someone in the process. She could feel the blood on her hands already.

Her whole body shook with sobs, and she got up and ran into the bar. She hid underneath a table, crawling back into her cave, back into the darkness. Back where it was safe and no one could get hurt.


	7. Chapter 7

Parker moved through Eliot's empty apartment like a ghost. She could hear his voice as she wandered into his bedroom, his laugh, the sound of the bed creaking when he threw her down onto it. She went to his dresser and pulled a shirt from his drawer, slipping it on over her clothes. It smelled like him.

He'd been gone two weeks. He'd gotten in touch with Hardison to tell him he'd be another week, another two weeks tops. He hadn't asked about her.

She'd replayed everything that happened since she got shot over and over in her head, trying to figure out what went wrong, but she gave up. It hurt too much to think. She was so tired; tired of crying, tired of that moment of panic when she woke up and he wasn't there...she couldn't understand how she had gotten so used to him being around when they'd only been together such a short time.

Parker ran her fingers along the spines of his books, reading the mostly German titles. Her hand came to rest at the small wooden box. Screw privacy, she thought as she picked it up and carried it over to the bed. She curled up and set it in front of her, opening the lid gently.

Inside was an assortment of items; a handwritten letter signed '_Love always, Amy_', a napkin with a number and lip-print on it, a small Bible, a single silver ring and an envelope with photographs inside. Parker picked it up and rifled through them. There was one of much-younger Amy, an old wedding photo of a beautiful woman and a soldier, and several of a group of children. Parker realized that they must be Eliot and his siblings. She smiled at one of toddler-aged Eliot sitting on a horse in front of a man with a buzz-cut. They were both grinning, squinting in the sun.

Parker put the photos down and closed the box. She had just glimpsed Eliot's life before it all began, when he was still an innocent child. She felt tears pushing at her eyes and fell back against his pillows, curling into a ball. She wanted to climb into that photograph, into that life. Maybe if she had known him then, neither of them would have turned out the way they did.

After resting for a few hours, watching the light change as the day progressed, the need to pee got Parker up. She put the box back and went into the bathroom, wiping her eyes. She was so tired.

Suddenly she froze.

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"Sophie! Are you here?" Parker called, bursting into Nate's apartment. She'd called and texted and even went to her apartment, but Sophie was nowhere to be found.

"She and Nate went out," Hardison said from the sofa, startling her. He looked to be in the middle of research; the screens were all doing separate things and he had several documents and files strewn around him. Parker started pacing, twisting her hands. "When is she coming back?" she asked desperately.

"I dunno, they could be gone for days-you know how they get." Hardison said with a chuckle. Seeing Parker's face, he stopped and stood up. "What's up, girl? You look like you're about to explode."

Parker stopped. Hardison wasn't exactly the person she wanted to discuss this with, but he was the next best thing. "I'm late." she said.

Hardison looked at her blankly, then he slowly understood. "Oh. You think you could be-oh. Uh, you sure? You sure you're not just late, late?"

Parker glared at him and resumed pacing. "I'm never late, Hardison. I'm always on time, it's clockwork, I rely on it. I've NEVER been late before."

"Okay, okay, it's cool, girl. Just...just chill." Hardison ran his hand over his head. "Look, I'll just go-go to the store and you sit tight, I'll be back." he turned and headed out the door, leaving Parker alone. She dropped onto the stairs and put her head in her hands. Terrifying flashes of her holding a baby that looked like the photograph of Eliot raced through her mind, making her flinch. She had never thought about having children. That was something normal people did. It had never seemed like a possibility to her, and now that it was she felt like throwing herself off a building without a parachute.

Twenty minutes later, she and Hardison sat in the bathroom doorway, staring at the multiple tests sitting on the counter. Hardison nudged her with his sneaker. "If you are...uh...what are you gonna do?"

Parker shook her head, leaning back. She couldn't think.

"...Are you gonna tell Eliot?" Hardison asked softly. "Even if it's negative, which it most likely is. You should tell him."

"Why? He left because of me. Why would he come back for me?"

Hardison sighed. "Parker, you've gotta stop blaming yourself. Eliot left because of _him_, not you. He left because he couldn't deal with his feelings. Eliot's like that. He can beat people up til the cows come home and be brave as hell, but when it comes down to real, intimate feelings, he's the biggest coward in the world."

Parker didn't understand. She was so tired of not understanding. She stood up and picked up one of the tests, holding her breath. Then she picked up another one, and another and another until she finally exhaled, relieved. She smiled at Hardison and he laughed. "See? I told you, girl." he gave her a hug and she sighed.

"But," Hardison pulled away and dug into his pocket. He handed her a small sheet of paper. "This is the number Eliot gave me, to reach him in case of an emergency. You should call him."

Parker took the number. Hardison was right-she had to call him. She had some things to say.

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"Eliot? It's me, Parker. I, uh...Hardison gave me this number...it's not an emergency, but I..."

Parker took a breath, the phone trembling at her ear.

"I just wanted to say that what you said to me when you left was really unfair. You can't blame me for the way you feel, Eliot-and I think you know that.

"And I know that you're scared because of all that you've been through and I know that you think you need to be strong all the time, but you don't have to be-I don't _expect_ you to be. But Eliot, we've worked together for a long time and I do expect you to know that I am capable. I am strong, too, and you don't have to look out for me like I'm a child. Just-just do your job, and know that I'm doing mine, too. Okay. That's it." Parker stopped. She closed her eyes.

"And I miss you. And...I love you."

She closed the phone with a snap and set it on the counter. She slid off the stool and jumped as the bell jingled above the door. She looked up, and her heart jumped. Eliot stood there in the doorway. He was dressed in dirty black clothes, boots and a black hat, and he carried nothing but the phone he held up to his ear. He lowered it slowly, his eyes shining. "That's the first time I've heard you say that." he said, his voice trembling slightly.

Parker jumped, running to him. She ran her hands over his shoulders and chest, making sure he was intact, that he hadn't gotten maimed, and finally she took his head in her hands and kissed him passionately. He clung to her, his heart beating rapidly against her chest. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "I'm sorry, I should never have said what I did-you didn't make me weak, Parker-I made myself weak. And I know you're strong-stronger than I'll ever be, and-"

"Eliot." Parker shook her head a little, casting him a beautiful, watery smile. "Just say you love me too."

"I love you," Eliot returned her smile, his eyes crinkling. He raised his hand to brush her bangs off her forehead. "Parker, I love you, I love you-" he kissed her desperately, and she tightened her arms around him. She had never heard those words strung together with her name before, and that Eliot was the one to say them made her feel...indescribable.


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